Here’s a synopsis of the problem. People are increasingly disengaging themselves from government (local, state, and federal). As they become more disengaged, there is a growing dissonance between public values and public policy (i.e. policy elites command the agenda, public input is minimized, sometimes to zero). As dissonance increases, disengagement increases until the system which supports the policy apparatus collapses in upon itself, much like a dying star.